Terrebonne General | Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Treats First Cancer Patient with Elekta Infinity

HOUMA, La. – Terrebonne General announces its investment in the new Elekta Infinity™, a highly sophisticated radiation treatment system for cancer that substantially reduces the time required for radiotherapy, while giving clinicians the ability to treat targets more aggressively.

“With the introduction of this state-of-the-art technology, patients stand to benefit in multiple ways,” said Jonas Fontenot, Ph.D., MBA, chief operating officer and Dr. Charles M. Smith chief of physics. “We’re now able to limit exposure to radiation by expediting their treatments, while also targeting cancer with an unmatched level of precision.”

Elekta Infinity incorporates Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), an innovative way to deliver radiation treatments that is a significant improvement over conventional approaches. With Elekta’s VMAT technology, the target area is continuously irradiated while the source of the beam rotates around the patient.

To minimize unnecessary exposure to radiation, Elekta Infinity incorporates ultra-low dose capabilities through active leakage reduction to ensure minimal dose to critical structures, and Elekta Infinity incorporates real-time assurance that the intended dose is delivered as precisely as planned.

Clinicians using Elekta Infinity can create a dose that conforms very tightly to the target area in significantly less time than with traditional techniques. Elekta VMAT achieves this with sophisticated computer programming that simultaneously controls five different system components (gantry position, gantry speed, leaves of the multi-leaf collimator, collimator angle and dose rate).

“As we continue to provide unparalleled cancer care, patients expect to have access to the best resources, including treatment equipment,” said Amy Boudreaux, director, Terrebonne General. “This piece of technology gives both physicians and patients supreme clinical confidence by its ability to aggressively target tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.”

About Terrebonne General                        Terrebonne General provides cancer care
to the Bayou Region. The full spectrum of comprehensive services, from
prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and
survivorship, is offered. Services include chemotherapy, radiation therapy,
and surgery, as well as patient navigation, clinical trials, and free community
screenings. The Cancer Center is nationally accredited with commendation
and recognized for excellence in cancer care by the American College of
Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the National Quality Oncology Practice
Initiative (QOPI®) Certification Program, an affiliate of the prestigious
American Society of Clinical Oncology (A.S.C.O.). For more information on
cancer services by Terrebonne General,
visit marybird.org/Houma.